Masterful Ardglass battle into decider

Masterful Ardglass battle into decider

30 September 2015

ARDGLASS blazed a trail of glory when they overcame a tame Teconnaught side at Pairc Esler on Sunday night to book their place in the JFC final with Glasdrumman.

Ryan Kelly’s side have made no secret about their championship ambitions since the start of the season and they are running into top form at the ideal time — as Teconnaught found out.

Early points from Liam Mullan and Chris Armstrong gave Ardglass a strong foothold in the game before Patrick Grant lofted over Teconnaught’s first score in the eighth minute.

Eoin Curran and Mullan tagged on points from play to give Ardglass a 0-4 to 0-1 lead by the 14th minute, but Teconnaught suddenly retaliated with two points from Ciaran Carville to leave a single point in it.

Carville was proving a real handful for Ardglass and with 19 minutes gone he cut through a static rearguard and created a goal chance for David Kelly, which he duly accepted to put his side into a 1-3 to 0-4 lead.

The lead quickly became three points when Conan Russell converted a free and minutes later Mark Armstrong, the Ardglass goalkeeper, produced a brilliant save to deny Patrick Grant a certain goal.

This moment was just the inspiration Ardglass needed and a goal from Daniel Smyth and a point Stephen Rooney just before the break gave the Ardtole side a 1-5 to 1-4 lead at the 

break.

It was all Ardglass at the start of the second half and points from Mullan and Chris Armstrong were added to by a poacher’s goal from David Armstrong to give their side a commanding 2-7 to 1-4 lead by the 34th minute.

Teconnaught now had a mountain to climb, but points from John Johnston and Conan Russell kept them in touch with 21 minutes remaining. Ardglass were having none of it and points from Daniel Smyth and John Polley gave Kelly’s men a 2-9 to 1-6 lead.

Conan Russell and Mullan exchanged points before the defiant Russell converted his second 45 in a row ti leave five points between the sides with eight minutes left.

A Russell free and a Grant point from play left a goal in it as the game headed towards added time, but Mullan settled Ardglass’ nerve with yet another converted free to seal Teconnaught’s fate.

Ardglass lost John Polley to a black card and Teconnaught had Russell sent off in the dying stages, but this was far from 

being an acrimonious encounter.

Ardglass: M Armstrong, S P Halpin, M Crangle, D Kearney, C O’Shea, E McEvoy, D Smyth (1-1), C Armstrong (0-2), S Rooney (0-1), P Curran, J Polley (0-1), C O’Connor, E Curran (0-1), D Armstrong (1-0), L Mullan (0-5). Subs: D Fleming for C Armstrong, M Magennis for Polley (black card).

Teconnaught: J Kelly, J O’Hare, Cormac Carville, C Greene, J Bell, D Kelly (1-0), N Sweeney, C Flanagan, J Larkin, J Johnston (0-1), C Russell (0-5), T Davis, P Grant (0-2), Ciaran Carville (0-2), R Sweeney. Subs: A McCartan for Sweeney, P Maguire for Ciaran Carville, D McClements for Flanagan.